As the name says, I’m starting from scratch and feeling my way along. I’m building my shop by hook and by crook with used tools from ebay and craigslist and anywhere I can find them. Currently, I have a pretty good used craftsman standing tablesaw with a forester 2 blade, PC chopsaw, craftman 12” bandsaw (with a wobble), circular saws, dewalt cordless drill and sawsall, dewalt biscuit joiner, makita jigssawl, milwaukee orbital and craftman old sheet 1/2 and 1/4 sanders, an ancient beltsander (3X18 and 3/4 hp), and a compressor and 16 and 18 ga guns. I just bought a used PC router and have a craftsman 1 1/2 hp router in a small table. For hand tools, I have a bunch of mismatched chisels, marking gauges, squares, a rusty gent saw and rusty back saw for tenons. I have an entirely too small set of pipe (2), bar (4), and C (2) clamps. I have a used jackplane as well that needs tuning. My short list to still collect is a low angle block plane, a benchgrinder and stones and honing guide to get into sharpening, a beech mallet, mortise gauge, a flushcut saw.

To be honest….I don’t even know how to use most of this stuff…but I’m learning. I have been doing mostly handyman projects in our house for 4-5 years. But, I have turned my attention to some finished carpentry lately and have just finished two sets of custom sized, lap joint glass pane doors for the tops of a couple closets. The next project will be three radiator covers. I have yet to tackle any dovetails or mortise and tenons in a project.

I was fortunate enough to come by an Ulmia workbench with a front and tail vise. The tail vise had a horrible scream when loosened or tightened. I lubed the metal threads with 3 and 1 oil…and I just want to be sure that wasn’t a mistake. Is there anything else I should have used? Sorry for the long wind…

Paste wax (the type sold for buffing hard wood floors), paraffin wax (Gulf Brand, in the canning aisle) or any spray dry lube.

Don’t use oil for anything that wood will be near in any form. Good wood may pick it up and ruin the ability to finish it, saw dust will stick to it and become an abrasive. Shavings will gunk up and just be icky.

All good advise. You can remove any remaining oil with lacquer thinner and then apply the wax just make sure the wax doesn’t have any silicone mixed in like some car waxes do or you could have the same or worse contamination problem with wood when trying to apply a finish. Welcome to LJs ,were always ready to help.

Thanks for all the great and quick information! I sort of had a feeling when I was doing it that it wasn’t the best plan. I got most of the excess off…some dripped down onto the bottom of the backside of the long front section of the tail vice, but I doubt anything I’m working with will come into contact and its out of sight for the most part. Thanks again, and I’m on the hunt for paste wax.